I donโt know why, but I think this piece is so cute! Itโs a bowl ๐ง๐๐๐๐ธ in the shape of a turtle ๐๐๐ฟ๐ that was made during the Predynastic Period (c. 3900โ3500 B.C.E). The turtle ๐๐๐ฟ๐ bowl ๐ง๐๐๐๐ธ is made of red ๐ง๐๐๐ clay!
In ancient Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐, turtles ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฆ were seen as an ambiguous force because they were creatures of both land ๐พ and water ๐. Turtles ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฆ were also seen as the enemy of Ra ๐ณ๐บ๐, and in chapter 162 of the Book of the Dead, it is stated that โMay Ra live, and may the turtle die.โ The turtles ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฆ that lived in the Nile ๐๐๐๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐บ were mostly nocturnal, which is probably why they were considered to be Raโs ๐ณ๐บ๐ enemy. Ra ๐ณ๐บ๐ was the sun ๐ณ god ๐น, and was responsible for the rising of the sun ๐ณ, while the night represented Raโs ๐ณ๐บ๐ death ๐ ๐๐ฑ.
While not as popular as some iconography, throughout Egyptian history, turtles ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฆ took the form of vessels, palettes ๐๐๐๐ฑ๐ฆ, amulets ๐๐ช๐ ๐ช, and images ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ฆ on objects such as stelae ๐๐ ฑ๐๐ธ๐ช.
Turtle ๐๐๐ฟ๐ can also be written in hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช like this: ๐๐บ.
I absolutely love amulets ๐๐ช๐ ๐ช because I love tiny ๐๐๐ด๐ ฉ things! The MET has an incredible collection of amulets ๐๐ช๐ ๐ช, and I feel like most people just walk by them because they’re so small ๐๐๐ด๐ ฉ! But even small ๐๐๐ด๐ ฉ objects can tell incredible stories about history!
In ancient Egyptian religion and culture, amulets ๐๐ช๐ ๐ช were thought to have magical ๐๐๐ฟ๐ powers and bestow them upon its wearer. Worn by both the living and the dead ๐ ๐๐ฑ, different amulets ๐๐ช๐ ๐ช served various religious and protective functions. Amulets ๐๐ช๐ ๐ช were usually made of faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ, which is a cheap and easy material to work with. Most faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ pieces have a green/blue ๐ ๐๐ color. This is because these colors were thought to represent life ๐น and regeneration.
The djed pillar ๐ฝ was associated with Osiris ๐น๐จ๐ญ and his regenerative powers and is thus considered an amulet ๐๐ช๐ of power. The djed pillars ๐ฝ are usually blue ๐๐น๐๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฅ or green ๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ in color to represent the Nile River ๐๐๐๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐บ. These amulets ๐๐ช๐ ๐ช date back to the Old Kingdom, and were used throughout Egyptian history. In the New Kingdom, they were strung around the neck of the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ. In hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช, the djed ๐ฝ symbol means โstabilityโ or โenduring.โ
The djed pillar ๐ฝ has also been thought to represent the spine of Osiris ๐น๐จ๐ญ, as referenced in The Book of the Dead: โRaise yourself up Osiris. You have your backbone once more, weary-hearted One; you have bones.โ
This is a sketch of a hippo ๐๐๐ฏ completed by an artist during the joint reign of Hatshepsut ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช and Thutmosis III ๐ณ๐ ๐ฃ (c. 1479โ1425 B.C.E., 18th Dynasty). Ostraca were pieces of limestone ๐๐๐๐ that artists would practice drawing and writing on, simply because papyrus ๐ ๐๐๐ was very expensive!
In Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐, hippos ๐๐๐ฏ๐ฆ were both feared and respected ๐๐๐ . They were feared because they were one of the most dangerous animals in the Nile Valley ๐. However, in some cases, hippos ๐๐๐ฏ๐ฆ were also thought to be powerful protectors ๐ ๐๐ก๐ against evil!
For example, the goddess ๐น๐ Taweret ๐๐ฟ๐ ฉ๐๐๐ was represented as a hippo ๐๐๐ฏ standing on two ๐ป feet. Taweret ๐๐ฟ๐ ฉ๐๐๐ was the goddess ๐น๐ of childbirth and was the protector of women ๐๐๐๐๐๐ช and children ๐๐๐๐ช. However, when the hippo ๐๐๐ฏ was in its animal form, the hippo ๐๐๐ฏ was a representation of Seth ๐๐๐ก๐ฃ, the god ๐น of chaos!
In this image ๐๐ ฑ๐however, I donโt believe thereโs any hidden meaning or good ๐ค๐๐ vs. evil ๐๐๐๐๐ จ debate going on! I think the artist was just simply practicing! Usually ostraca contain guidelines or a grid, but this one does not! Iโm assuming this means that this was the work of an experienced artist! Also, the hippo ๐๐๐ฏ is beautiful ๐ค, and itโs also colored in, so it looks like a completed work and not necessarily a sketch!
The Red Crown ๐ง๐๐๐๐ of Lower Egypt ๐ค (left) was the headdress that was associated with the area of Lower Egypt ๐ค (North) while the White Crown ๐ค๐ (middle) was associated with the area of Upper Egypt ๐ (South). Combined, the two ๐ป crowns represented a United Egypt (right). The combined crown is on a falcon ๐๐๐ก๐ amulet ๐๐ช๐ that most likely represents the god ๐น Horus ๐ ๐ญ! Today I am going to focus on the Red Crown ๐ง๐๐๐๐ amulet ๐๐ช๐ because it is a favorite of mine!
Known as the deshret to the ancient Egyptians, the Red Crown ๐ง๐๐๐๐ in amulet ๐๐ช๐ form was considered to be an amulet ๐๐ช๐ of power. The word โdeshretโ in Middle Egyptian could both refer to the color red ๐ง๐๐๐ , or the desert ๐ ๐๐๐/๐๐๐บ. Sometimes, Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐ was even referred to as the โRed Landโ in ancient Egyptian texts.
While the Red Crown ๐ง๐๐๐๐ was first worn by the pharaoh ๐๐ป Narmer ๐ข๐, it was only first seen in amulet ๐๐ช๐ form during the First Intermediate Period. The Red Crown ๐ง๐๐๐๐ of Lower Egypt is a cylindrical headpiece with a tall spike in the back and a long spiral in the front. This crown has been named the โred crownโ by Egyptologists because it is usually depicted in a red ๐ง๐๐๐ color in Egyptian ๐๐๐๐ art. While usually depicted in red ๐ง๐๐๐ , most amulets ๐๐ช๐ ๐ช are in the blue/green ๐ ๐๐ color that is typical of faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ.
In ancient Egypt, red ๐ง๐๐๐ was considered a powerful color because it is associated with blood, in particular the blood of Isis. While the Red Crown ๐ง๐๐๐๐ (and all other crowns) would have only been worn by a pharaoh ๐๐ป, amulets ๐๐ช๐ ๐ช in the shape of crowns would imbue the wearer (even if they were a commoner or non-royal) with the same power or authority as a pharaoh ๐๐ป or god ๐น.
The Weighing of the Heart ๐๐๐ฃ is my absolute favorite scene from the Book of the Dead, and just one of my favorite scenes from literature in general! I have been so fortunate to see many different version of the Book of the Dead in various museums! While this is a simplified version of the scene, I still love it! This papyrus ๐ ๐๐๐ is kinda hidden amongst many other papyri ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ at the MET, and Iโve definitely missed it during other visits!
Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ is the center of the scene so of course it is my favorite! Here, Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ข weighs the heart ๐๐๐ฃ of the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ against Maatโs ๐ด๐๐ฃ๐๐ฆ feather. If Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ determines thereโs balance between the two ๐ป, then the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ would be presented to Osiris ๐น๐จ ๐ญ by Horus ๐ ๐ญ. The deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ would then enter the Duat ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐, or the afterlife.
Thoth ๐ ค๐ญ records the findings. While Thoth ๐ ค๐ญ is usually represented in his human body/ibis ๐๐๐ ค head form during this scene, that is not the case here! Thoth ๐ ค๐ญ is in his baboon form and is sitting on top of the scale! Ammit ๐๐ ๐ ๐(the Devourer of the Dead/Eater of Hearts) is also absent from this version! Itโs always so interesting to see different versions of the same scene!
In the hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช, itโs interesting to see Osiris spelled like โ๐ฉ๐นโ instead of the common form โ๐น๐จ๐ญ.โ For some reason Iโm always fascinated when I see alternate spellings; I donโt know why!
In the hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช, the phrase โ๐ฉ๐น๐๐๐ณ๐โ or โOsiris, Lord of Eternityโ is written! We have learned all of those words through other posts!! Can you find it?!
This beautiful ๐ค faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ piece is a foundation deposit brick with the cartouche of pharaoh ๐๐ป Rameses II ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐ written on it (19th Dynasty, c. 1279โ1213 B.C.E.). I chose this piece for today, because Rameses II ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐ is thought to possibly be the pharaoh ๐๐ป of the Exodus – there are many theories as to who the pharaoh ๐๐ป was that is mentioned in The Bible by Moses. The pharaoh ๐๐ป of the Exodus is only referred to as โthe pharaohโ in The Bible and not by name ๐๐, so historians and religious scholars can only make inferences based on The Bible and archaeological evidence.
It is all so fascinating and based on my research, I believe that the evidence lines up to Rameses II ๐ณ๐๐ง๐ณ๐๐ being the pharaoh ๐๐ป of the Exodus. Some of the specific references made in the text of Exodus seems to line up really well with the 19th Dynasty time period. Some scholars disagree and think the Exodus happened at a later time period, some believe it happened earlier.
Why would there be no historical record of the Exodus in writings ๐๐๐ฅ from Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐? Egyptian writing was full of propaganda and only the good stuff was mentioned. Something like the Exodus would have been kept on the down-low.
Foundation deposit bricks were ceremonial offerings that were placed at the corners of buildings, courts, temples ๐๐๐๐ฆ , tombs ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ, and pretty much the foundation of any building. They can almost be thought of as the ancient version of a ground-breaking ceremony. The foundation deposit bricks usually contained the cartouche of the pharaoh ๐๐ป that the building was constructed under on it! Iโm the early dynastic times, foundation deposits took the form of pottery, but later evolved into different versions of what you see pictured ๐๐ ฑ๐!
As we all know, Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ is the Egyptian god ๐น of embalming and tombs/cemeteries. This means that Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ was the main protector ๐ ๐๐ก๐ of the recently deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ! During the New Kingdom, more specifically the 18th Dynasty, it became common for statues ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ๐ช of Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ to be placed in tombs ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ as a sort of protection ๐ ๐๐ก๐ for the dead! The most famous example is the โAnubis Shrine ๐ฃโ that was found in Tutankhamunโs ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ฑ๐๐น๐พ๐บ๐ tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐! The statue ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ in this picture ๐๐ ฑ๐ is from the Late Period.
Since I am in the process of reading the Bible, hereโs something very interesting about Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ I just learned recently! Did you know that some Bible/religious scholars believe that Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ is actually mentioned in Exodus!? When I was reading Exodus, and I caught what I thought was a reference to Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ, I was shocked and immediately had to start researching!
โBut not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.โ (Exodus 11:7, English Standard Version) Another translation is “But against all the Israelites, whether man or beast, not even a dog will snarl.”
The plagues of Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐ can be interpreted as the Egyptian gods ๐น๐น๐น being powerless against God himself – such as when God blocked the Sun ๐ณ๐บ for three ๐ผ days during the ninth plague, Ra ๐ณ๐บ๐ was powerless to stop it. So, the mention of Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ can be interpreted as Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ having no power over life and death ๐ ๐๐ฑ, or that Anubis ๐๐๐ช๐ ฑ๐ฃ will have no power over the death ๐ ๐๐ฑ of the people of Israel (Canaan ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ญ in The Bible). It can also be taken as God (not Anubis) would bring death ๐ ๐๐ฑ to Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐, but not Israel ๐๐ฟ๐๐๐ญ.
Again, these are interpretations of the Bible (including some of my own), and Iโm sure many scholars and other readers have their own interpretations that are different and just as valid!
Iโm going to talk about the Second Plague of Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐ today: Frogs ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ! Many Biblical/religious scholars believe that the 10 Plagues of Egypt were not only directed by God against the Pharaoh ๐๐ป/people of Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐, but the Egyptian ๐๐๐๐ deities ๐น๐น๐น as well.
These frog ๐๐๐๐ figures are dated to the Early Dynastic Period (c. 3000-2675 B.C.E.) so these are quite old! Frogs ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ were not really written about at all during these predynastic times, and these statues ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ๐ช predate a lot of religious writing ๐๐๐ฅ and iconography , however, they are mentioned in Exodus (starting at 8:1).
The Egyptians ๐๐๐๐๐ช believed the frog ๐๐๐๐ to be a symbol of fertility because they would appear after the flooding of the Nile River ๐๐๐๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐บ, so they were associated with life ๐น/the regenerative qualities of water ๐. The frog ๐๐๐๐ is also associated with the fertility goddess ๐น๐ Heqet ๐๐๐๐ who is represented as a woman with a frog ๐๐๐๐ head.
Heqet ๐๐๐๐ also had the task of controlling the population of frogs ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ in Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐ by protecting the frog-eating crocodiles. Without Heqet ๐๐๐๐, the frog ๐๐๐๐ population would grow out of control! During the Second Plague, God overwhelmed Heqet ๐๐๐๐ hence the large amount of frogs ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ that appeared in Egypt ๐๐ ๐๐! It is God who controls fertility, not Heqet ๐๐๐๐ because The Lord is all powerful!
I was SO EXCITED to see the white limestone ๐๐๐๐ Sphinx ๐๐ ฑ๐ญ๐ค of Hatshepsut ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช again! It has been so long since Iโve seen this piece; it was honestly like greeting an old friend! This Sphinx ๐๐ ฑ๐ญ๐ค used to be in the main Hatshepsut ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช gallery at the MET, but for some reason itโs no longer there! Now it is hidden in one of the smaller galleries which is a shame because it is such a beautiful piece!
Most of Hatshepsutโs ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช statuary ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ that was excavated from her temple ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ were carved from red granite ๐ ๐ณ๐๐ถ, however this one is carved from limestone ๐๐๐๐ – the red granite ๐ ๐ณ๐๐ถ sphinxes ๐๐ ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ and this Sphinx ๐๐ ฑ๐ญ๐ค are very different too. The white limestone ๐๐๐๐ sphinxes ๐๐ ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ have much more feminine features as compared to the red granite ๐ ๐ณ๐๐ถ ones most likely because they were used in different parts of the temple ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ for different purposes.
This Sphinx ๐๐ ฑ๐ญ๐ค has been heavily reconstructed by using pieces that were modeled after the second Sphinx ๐๐ ฑ๐ญ๐ค just like this one, which is in the Cairo Museum. These two ๐ป sphinxes ๐๐ ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ most likely guarded the upper terrace of Hatshepsutโs ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช temple at Deir el-Bahri ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ while the red granite ๐ ๐ณ๐๐ถ sphinxes ๐๐ ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ would have guarded the lower terrace.
Thanks to Hatshepsutโs ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช drive/intelligence and her architect Senemut ๐ข๐๐ ๐ผ, Hatshepsut will be remembered as one of the most prolific builders in Egyptian history! Itโs such a shame that she doesnโt get the same recognition that Rameses II ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ด๐ gets!
Instead of wearing the typical nemes ๐๐ ๐ด head cloth that most pharaohs ๐๐ป๐ฆ who were fashioned into sphinxes ๐๐ ฑ๐ญ๐ฆ wear, Hatshepsut ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช is actually wearing a lionโs ๐ณ๐น๐ฟ๐ mane! This is very typical of Middle Kingdom art! This piece is dated to 1479โ1458 B.C.E., and I love seeing New Kingdom art imitate styles from the past!
Letโs read some hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช!
(๐ณ๐ฆ๐) – Maatkare ๐๐ ๐ – Amun ๐บ๐๐ – Beloved ๐น๐๐- Life Given ๐ – Eternity
โMaatkare, Beloved of Amun, Given Life for Eternity.โ
I know this is strange, but โGiven Lifeโ is written backwards! It should be โ๐๐นโ not โ๐น๐โ as itโs written (this inscription is read from right to left).
Thereโs also an added ๐, which makes it the feminine form! Thereโs a second sphinx ๐๐ ฑ๐ญ๐ค just like this one in the Cairo Museum, and on that sphinx ๐๐ ฑ๐ญ๐ค, there is no added ๐! Why would one sphinx ๐๐ ฑ๐ญ๐ค use the feminine form and one use the masculine?! We will probably never know!
This piece, titled the โOsiris Figure of Hatneferโ is dated to the joint reign of Hatshepsut ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช and Thutmosis III ๐ณ๐ ๐ฃ (New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, c. 1479โ1458 B.C.E.).
This wooden ๐ฑ๐๐บ piece was found in Senemutโs ๐ข๐๐ฟ tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐, though it inscribed ๐๐ ฑ๐ with the name ๐๐ Hatnefer ๐๐ค๐. Hatnefer ๐๐ค๐ was Senemutโs ๐ข๐๐ ๐ผ mother ๐ ๐๐ and due to his status as Hatshepsutโs ๐๐ ๐๐น๐๐๐๐ผ๐ช most trusted advisor, he was able to give his mother ๐ ๐๐ a proper burial.
ThisโOsiris Figure,โ which represents resurrection, is almost a cross between a ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ(it contains the basic funerary text on it) and the popular Ptah-Sokar-Osiris figures of the Late Period. The Ptah-Sokar-Osiris figures always stood on a wooden base just like this. Ptah-Sokar-Osiris figures represented birth, death, and resurrection. Itโs interesting to see how the art has evolved over the years!
Letโs read some hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช! ๐ช๐๐ – Venerated (I believe this is a variant of ๐ช๐๐) ๐๐ – Before ๐ฉ๐น – Osiris ๐๐ค๐ – Hatnefer
I am always so amazed when wooden ๐ฑ๐๐บ pieces are still in such great condition – wood ๐ฑ๐๐บ is organic and it can break down very quickly as compared to a material like rock ๐๐๐๐.
